Of Trump's Appointees, Neil Gorsuch Is The Most Reasonable, Qualified Choice for a Stolen Seat

[TomCADem]

I do not agree with Gorsuch's views. However, is he qualified? Will he faithfully perform his role as a Supreme Court justice? I think the answer is yes. Indeed, if I could switch him out for either Alito, who I view as a partisan hack, or Thomas, another partisan hack who should never have been nominated, I would happily make that trade.

I think that Democrats should go all-in for opposing Jeff Sessions, Betsy Devos, Rex Tillerson, Tom Price, and Rick Perry. Most of them have hostile views and a lack of respect for the Departments they are expected to head, as well as a lack of qualifications.

In contrast, Gorsuch is well-qualified (not as qualified as Garland) and Gorsuch respects the role of the judiciary.

My take is that if Democrats are going to force Republicans to blow up the filibuster, they should do so when Trump proposes a clear partisan hack like Alito or Thomas or a judge who has been outspoken about overturning Roe v. Wade or the Voting Rights Act.

In short, I know a lot of folks want to go all-out for obstruction. However, consider that President Obama still managed to get most of his cabinet. Mitch McConnell wisely did not try to stop all of President Obama's appointments. It just seemed that way. Likewise, Democrats need to perform their role of advising and consenting the President with respect to appointments, rather than abdicating that role by voting no regardless of the actual qualifications of the nominee.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. His judicial decisions have been very right-wing. He's a younger,

better-looking version of Scalia. And he'll be confirmed no matter what the Democrats do.

[Hoyt]

2. Think you are probably right, but would like to know a bit more about him.

Odds are we can't stop him. No need to look weak trying to do so. Again, need a little more time to consider.

[underthematrix]

3. Look up his mother Anne Gorsuch Reagan's EPA Director

[Impedimentus]

4. The very fact that he accepted Trump's nomination shows that he has no honor.

It's time to stop playing nice or reasonable. The Republicans NEVER will be reasonable and soon we will cease to be a democracy. Look where reason has got us in dealing with Republicans. Garland Or No One !!!

[Idoru]

5. This isn't

A cabinet post. Those end with the term of the President.

This is for LIFE.

This was stolen. Stolen from us, the people who voted for Obama to make that choice.

They have NO right to it.

[Lucinda]

6. +1

8 is plenty for now.

[TomCADem]

9. Yup. But This Nominee Is Not The One to Nuke the Filibuster On

At the end of the day, he will be confirmed. If the Democrats filibuster this candidate, who is qualified, Republicans will nuke the filibuster, because they can. We can't do a fucking thing about it. We can scream and bitch, but if we blow the filibuster on Trump's best nominee so far in terms of actually being qualified, then when if Justice Ginsberg were to die, and Trump were to nominate Jeff Sessions as a Justice, then we will not even be able to make Republicans break a sweat.

This is why we need to win Congressional seats in 2018. In fact, I almost think winning the 2018 elections is more important than 2020, because god forbid that Trump is going into 2020 without any one to hold him accountable.

[Idoru]

11. Do you honestly believe

That if the democrats "play nice" with this nomination that it will make any difference whatsoever to how the republicans behave in regards to anything else? Because I have seen zero evidence of such quid pro quo, of even basic fairness, coming from that side literally no matter what the democrats do. They will spit in your face and laugh if you are fool enough to think they are going to return your generosity with anything but contempt.

So why bother? Why piss off their own base who, frankly, have been given next to no reason to support their spineless behavoir for decades and who are out on the streets right now, furious? Do you think, after Sanders, they aren't going to bolt if the Party gives them no sign that they are willing to fight for what we consider important, even just moral, here? There is a tipping point and we have reached it. Just like the repukes have learned to fear the wrath of their base, the democrats are going to learn a hard lesson if this kind of behavior continues.

[MichMary]

22. 2018

Ten Senators will be up for re-election in states that Trump won. Piss off the voters in those states and you will hand the Repubs a filibuster-proof majority.

This is not the hill to die on.

[djg21]

17. I agree completely.

There is nothing to be gained by opposing the nomination. The man is well qualified despite his conservative ideology. The fact is that Obama screwed up by ceding the vacancy to the Republicans by not fighting to make his appointment. That was a tactical error, and there's no fixing it now. The fight should be saved for another day and another nominee or appointment.

Gorsuch is a smart man. It won't be lost on him that being appointed by Trump will be a stigma, and will render him illegitimate in the eyes of a majority of Americans (think Clarence Thomas). I really think Gorsuch will stake out the center with Kennedy to dispel the tarnish and can be a very solid Justice.

[grantcart]

19. You need to explain why if we go along here then

they cannot nuke it the next time

[TomCADem]

30. Make Them Nuke It On Someone Unqualified...

...or an obvious crony or extremist.

For example, Rudy Giuliani, John Yoo, Jeff Sessions or Ted Cruz as a nominee.

Yes, they can nuke it, but make them nuke the filibuster on an unqualified or partisan candidate. Otherwise, what is the point?

[grantcart]

31. just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing something.

Depends if they can keep the 48 together, which I guess is what you are saying.

[uponit7771]

13. +1

[msongs]

7. more false equivalence: trump cabinet obama cabinet so just go along ok nt

[MFM008]

8. No right

and Schumer had better hold this seat open.
No one that fat bastard appoints is qualified to do anything but fall off the Earth.

[TomCADem]

10. Democrats Are In The Minority. The Only Bullet They Have...

...is to force Republicans to nuke the filibuster and once that is gone, it is gone. And, if we nuke the filbuster on this judge, we gain absolutely nothing, because he will be confirmed.

[uponit7771]

14. They can nuke the filibuster at any time big or small, on anything... why hold powder on the SC!?

[MichMary]

23. Well, maybe

to help out the ten Senators in Trump states who will have to answer to the voters in the next election?

[Are_grits_groceries]

12. Make them grind every damn thing out!

You are talking as if we are and have been dealing with reasonable people.
The Republicans were obstructionists for years.
Trump is worse. He is trying to undo everything he can possibly tear apart.

Trump and the Republicans need to know there is opposition and that it will be fierce.

They want the Dems to play nice and do what you say.
N.O.
We have played nice far too long. That bastid Tom Cotton held up Cassandra Butts appointment to cause Obama pain. He said that! She passed away without ever taking her post.

I'll advise and consent them.
I'd advise them to go to hell and consent to NOTHING.
They cannot be trusted and I'll be damned if I would give them one more easy path.

Everything has changed and all bets are off. This is the fight of our lives to make them understand there are two parties that deserve to be heard.

[uponit7771]

15. +1, every damn issue... they cost America 25 billion in a shut down and still gained seats.. fuck em

... if we're going to go I'm wanting to go fighting and take a couple of the KGOP fucks with us.

[Fast Walker 52]

24. indeed-- the Dems should do whatever causes the most pain for the GOP politically

and mostly need to take the initiative more.

[DetlefK]

16. Hell the fuck No! Giving Gorsuch confirmation-hearings would set a terrible and dangerous precedent.

It means that from now on it's okay to deny a vote to presidential SCOTUS nominees.

Mitch McConnell refused to hold Merrick Garland's confirmation-hearing by citing a rule that was never officially passed. In other words, there is no rule that would force him to do so. He chose to and he did so with a pretty flimsy argument.

If the Democrats cave on this SCOTUS-seat, a new political standard has been defined.
Just as it suddenly took 60 instead of 51 votes to pass anything in the Senate because the Republicans filibustered everything, the hurdle for SCOTUS-nominees will from now on not be passing the confirmation-hearings and getting the votes. IT WILL BE GETTING ANY HEARING AT ALL!

[rumdude]

18. I agree

A 2 yr filibuster will get us nowhere.

[BlueStater]

20. I don't give a shit. Garland was just as qualified and was never even given a chance.

Fuck the disgusting sexual predator disgracing the Oval Office and fuck the obstructionist Republican party who stole this vacancy from President Barack Obama. Hell is too good a fate for any of them.

[MoonRiver]

21. I just can't get over the stolen seat part.

I'll never get over it, and I think Dems should fight tooth and nail against all Rump's SC choices on that basis alone.

[Abouttime]

26. You are right

We should approve no judges, no cabinet members, obstruct everything tRump attempts to do.
tRump stole the election, this is now a proven fact. We need to stall everything for the next two years and then elect a Democratic House and Senate.

[PA Democrat]

25. I disagree.

Gorsuch is a lifetime appointment and he is only 49 years old. He is to the RIGHT of Scalia.

Gorsuch is an opponent of the legal precedent set by Chevron U.S.A., Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc. which permist agencies within the executive branch to interpret statutues which it administers. The fear is that a conservative court could thwart a Democratic executive branch of government in the future from administering policies based upon their interpretation of the legislative intent of laws where there may be some degree of ambiguity.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevron_U.S.A.,_Inc._v._Natural_Resources_Defense_Council,_Inc.

[wishstar]

27. There is no guarantee Repubs won't blow up filibuster regardless

Could be a mistake for Dems to appease Repubs now just in hopes of trying to keep the filibuster for later, especially after the Repub refusal to consider Garland. Gorsuch seems further to the right of the other prominent candidate Hardiman.


Reading several of Gorsuch's past opinions and decisions leads me to believe he is a far right Dominionist who places rights of corporate business interests over individuals/consumers plus he is is willing to allow and defend "religious" bigotry over individual civil rights. He is the ultimate embodiment of the right wing unholy alliance between greed and theocracy. Bannon and Ralph Reid are thrilled to have steered Trump to pick him since Gorsuch is like Pence, a wolf in sheep's clothing.

[dalton99a]

28. +1

[Freethinker65]

29. I agree. He is qualified, like Roberts was qualified

I would do everything possible short of a filibuster to delay his confirmation. Expose all of his conservative ideology and thoroughly vet him. If he is still deemed qualified I would let Democratic Senators decide how they wish to vote (no arm twisting).